The Handmaid's Tale Journal #1Brontee Forfar I decided to do some research on the author, Margaret Atwood. He's Canadian, which is awesome, and currently resides in Toronto. He has written over forty pieces of poetry, children's literature, fiction and non-fiction. Another fact I discovered is that his work has been published in over forty languages ​​including: Icelandic, Estonian, Farsi, and Japanese. Margaret is a very knowledgeable woman, and I think it shows in her writing and the beautiful descriptions she provides. I came across some words I had never heard before, such as “palimpsest,” “litany,” and “jubilant.” What I liked about these words, besides the fact that I learned new words, is that Atwood used them effectively. He didn't just say "Oh look, I know all these fancy words" and then put them in; rather, he used them thoughtfully, adding elements to the story. For example: «In any case we are jubilant, it is a victory for all of us. We did it” (Atwood 159). “Jubilant” expresses happiness or joy, and I thought her choice of words was very telling and demonstrates the type of writer she is. I decided to read The Handmaid's Tale, because it's known as a classic, and I've enjoyed it so far. It's a little harder to read because there's a lot of descriptive language and some words I'm not used to. Margaret Atwood describes the memories vividly, so it is not simply Offred's memories, but also the reader's: “The dances would be held there; the music lingered, a palimpsest of unheard sounds, style upon style, an undercurrent of drums, a desperate wail...” (Atwood 3.) In this memory Atwood uses the word 'palimpsest', and since I don't know what it is it means that I decided to look for it. It's “a...... middle of paper……t, “But whose fault was it? says Aunt Helena, holding out a plump finger. His fault, his fault, his fault, let us sing in unison” (Attwood 88.) This contradicts feminists' beliefs that rape is never the victim's fault and provocation is never a justification. The accusation that continues is effective, because in the end Janine gives in, saying: “It was my fault, she says. It was my fault. I led them. I deserved the pain” (Attwood 89.) This scene shows that not only is there men against women in Gilead society, but women turn against women, because the aunts will punish those who do not punish the victims. Now, in our society, as I said, we are getting better. However, there are still some people who, like the Handmaids and Aunts, believe that rape is the victim's fault, and if they provoked or wore provocative clothing, then they deserved it..